Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Monica's Story

I just finished reading this book today and wanted to share my thoughts. At the time this story was unfolding, I was 28 years old, married and working full-time. I was also a Republican and very conservative. Without really caring about what this whole quagmire did to Monica Lewinsky, I swallowed the news accounts about how she was a home-wrecker, loose, etc. and hated her and the President for the tawdry story all together.

Ten plus years later; I have a much better idea about how the world works, I'm still married, have kids now, have changed my politics considerably and came upon this book with an open mind. I actually wanted to hear what she had to say about everything that happened to her. She was young, only 3 years younger than myself. She was not a home-wrecker, even though she had been with a different married man before the President. She was young, foolish and concerned with her weight. Having any older men pay attention to her was flattering. The older, married men should be the ones being held responsible; not a young, impressionable, unworldly girl.

This ruined her life. She was used by both political parties as a pawn. Kenneth Starr should be thrown out of this country for the way he treated her. He was practically a modern-day Nazi to her and her family, and nobody stopped him. Bill Clinton is like a lot of other men--obsessed with sex and the power he held over her and everyone else. Monica was not that much older than his daughter, and yet, he had an emotional and somewhat sexual affair with her. His self-discipline is so weak and pathetic it makes me sick. He had no thought of what this might do to her and her future, or if he did, he didn't care. Shame on him. She was in love with him and envisioned a time in the future where they would be married and together forever.

I'm not saying she didn't do anything wrong, but I can look at her now and give her my empathy and wish her only the best. I never understood her, and I'm glad I've read her account. I also understand that it is her story, and puts her in the best possible light. I think the author did a really excellent job laying it all out so that those of us who don't live in the Beltway can understand the layers upon layers of intricate politicking that went and does go on there everyday.

It's a good read, and I recommend it to anyone who either doesn't remember it, or does, but never heard her side.